A French couple opened Café de Paris on Las Olas Boulevard in 1959, Louis Flematti said.

Around that time, he moved down to South Florida from New York and was walking up and down the street looking for a job when he stumbled upon Café de Paris.

They needed a waiter. The 20-something-year-old was the right fit.

About a year after working there, the Switzerland native and a friend partnered to buy the restaurant from its original owners. Flematti eventually became sole owner and devoted his time and money to making Café de Paris a destination for authentic French cuisine.

The restaurant's extensive menu includes filet mignon and lobster tail with vegetables and lyonnaise potatoes, grilled lamb chops and bottles of wine that cost more than $1,000 apiece.

Linda Danoff, who lives in Fort Lauderdale, visited Café de Paris for the first time in the early 1970s. She keeps going back for the incredible food, old-world ambiance and live entertainment with a pianist, she said.

"It's very sad," Danoff said of the impending closure. "[Flematti] is a big part of the Fort Lauderdale restaurant history. But I understand, he wants to retire."

Flematti sold the Las Olas Boulevard property to Las Olas Co. during the recession, he said. They made an agreement that Flematti would run the restaurant a few more years, and the time has come for him to give it up, Flematti said, adding that he doesn't know what will become of the property.

The retail development company could not be reached for comment. Las Olas Co. has proposed to the city plans to develop a two-story retail building across the street from the French restaurant.

Flematti said he and his wife hope to travel across South America and Europe once they free up their time from the restaurant business. Decades ago, Flematti also owned a restaurant and nightclub called French Quarter, behind Café de Paris. He sold that property many years ago for a deal he couldn't turn down, he said.

The restaurateur has began telling his customers that Café de Paris will shut down for good and also has started selling off décor, lamps, paintings and bottles of wine.

Flematti will miss greeting and getting to know people who choose to eat at his restaurant, he said. Café de Paris is divided into three rooms — one of them has mustard-colored walls filled with names and messages from people who have eaten there. Some date back to the early 60s.